Orange County NC Website
851 <br />supplement increase for tenured teachers and an increase in the supplements <br />for classified employees and emphasized that these are much needed increases. <br />He noted that teachers are facing reductions in the Career Development <br />Program. He spoke in support of the need for technology support saying they <br />need qualified personnel to support teachers as they move into technology. <br />Tina Walker, technology consulting teacher at A.L. Stanback Middle <br />school, spoke in support of technology support for Stanback. She said that <br />they are using computers to generate quality work. They are asking for <br />additional funds to put technology teachers at each school to train, teach <br />and integrate technology along with the responsibility of running the system. <br />Elizabeth Prioli, member of the Orange County Redistricting Advisory <br />Committee, said that during the early stages of redistricting, she learned <br />that the average length of a bus ride in Orange County is one and one half <br />hours one way. This, means that some children are picked up at 6:25 and <br />return at 5:00. Three hours times 180 days equals 540 hours or 77 days of <br />class time per school year. The worse case involves .a daily round trip of <br />four hours. she feels that there is a dire need for school transportation. <br />she is told that the buses are used in the most efficient ways possible. She <br />feels that the length of time these children ride school buses can be reduced <br />with smaller, fuel efficient vehicles. There is a need for nine additional <br />buses at a cost of $288,000. She asked that the Board address this problem. <br />The pay for bus drivers is $6.25 an hour which she feels is too low. She <br />said that additional buses with shorter routes, combined with staggered <br />school openings and closings would allow one driver to drive two routes. <br />These drivers would receive additional benefits and the efficiency of their <br />work would improve. She feels that less hours on the bus would enhance the <br />childrens learning potential and significantly improve the quality of their <br />lives. <br />C. R. Bell seconds everything said about education. He would like <br />Orange County to add the full 5 cents to the tax rate to fund education or <br />find the waste in the system. He asked that some groups be set up to start <br />looking at the waste in the system and put the money allocated to good use <br />.w;thout..raising taxes.. <br />Lane Dyke, Chairman of the A. L. Stanback Site Committee, talked about <br />what they plan to do at the school in terms of the structure of the school. <br />They are working toward outcome--based education where goals are set before <br />the curriculum is set up so they can insure that the students will meet the <br />goals at hand. Next year they will include children with disabilities into <br />the regular classroom. They have a team selected for the Community in <br />Schools program in which community services will be brought into the schools <br />to meet the needs of the students who perhaps don't have the support they <br />need or can't find the support they need in the community. She continued to <br />explain what kinds of programs will be offered at the school. she is in <br />support of staff development as they move toward the new middle school. She <br />is also interested in equity between the two school systems. She asked that <br />the Board fully fund the budget for orange County schools. <br />Leigh Peek asked that the County Commissioners fund the supplements for <br />the teachers and the continuation shortfall. She said that if the County <br />will provide the money for the supplements, the parents will go to the school